Choo Hoey

Background

Choo Hoey (b. 20 October 1934,¹ Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia–) is the founder and conductor emeritus of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO).² He was the SSO’s resident conductor and music director from 1979 to 1996.³ Choo has gained a reputation for his expert handling of the orchestra and his genuine feeling for contemporary music.⁴ Over his long and fruitful conducting career, he has built a large opera repertoire of almost 70 scores.⁵

Early life and education
Choo was born into a Teochew family in the Indonesian city of Palembang. His father, Choo Seng, and his mother, Wang Su Ying, were teachers at the same local school when they met. He has a sister, Chu Eng.⁶

Choo’s first encounter with classical music was through listening to his father’s huge record collection, and he was particularly drawn to the violin.⁷ Noticing his son’s musical talent, the elder Choo gave the then six-year-old boy his first violin lessons using a Teach Yourself book.⁸ Upon completing his primary education, Choo came to Singapore to pursue his secondary education at The Chinese High School.⁹

In 1947, Choo began violin training under Goh Soon Tioe, a music teacher and impresario.¹⁰ While still in Singapore, he obtained his Grade 8 certification with distinction¹¹ from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.¹² After completing senior high school in 1951, he left for London to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where  he studied the violin under Winifred Small and David Martin, the horn under Aubrey Brain and Charles Gregory, and conducting under Maurice Miles.¹³

Choo graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1955 with two awards for conducting, the Manns Memorial Prize and the Ernest Read Prize.¹⁴ Upon graduation, he continued his violin training at the Conservatoire Royale de Musique in Brussels, Belgium.¹⁵

Career
Making his debut in Belgium in 1958 with Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, Choo initiated a successful career as a visiting conductor throughout Europe and South America.¹⁶ He was the first Asian conductor to conduct a European national orchestra.¹⁷ He performed in many music capitals of Europe, as well as in North America, Latin America, China and the former Soviet Union. He has been a guest conductor with over 60 orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic (Norway), Orquesta Nacionale de Buenos Aires (Argentina), London Philharmonic, Beijing Central Philharmonic (China) and the Tokyo City Philharmonic (Japan).¹⁸

Choo settled in Greece in 1969 after his marriage.¹⁹ There, he served as the principal conductor of the Greek National Opera, and frequently guest-conducted with other major symphony orchestras including the Athens State Orchestra, Hellenic Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and the Salonica State Orchestra.²⁰  During this period in Greece, Choo gave numerous world premieres of contemporary Greek works and recorded many pieces with the Hellenic Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra.²¹

At the invitation of the Singapore government, Choo returned to Singapore in 1978 to set up the SSO, which held its inaugural concert in January 1979.²² The following year, he initiated the formation of the Singapore Symphony Chorus to add greater variety to the concert programmes.²³ In 1985, he led the SSO in its international debut in Scandinavia – the first of four successful European tours.²⁴

Choo was also a founding board member and advisor of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra inaugurated in 1996.²⁵ In the same year, he stepped down as SSO’s music director and assumed the role of conductor emeritus, a title created in recognition of his contributions.²⁶ As the conductor emeritus, Choo will conduct two weekends of concerts every year.²⁷ In 2019, he conducted SSO’s 40th anniversary concert.²⁸

Choo is credited with building up the SSO from modest beginnings and developing its extensive repertoire ranging from early baroque to contemporary masterpieces during his tenure.²⁹ Choo resides in Athens and London, where his sons live.³⁰

Awards
1980: Cultural Medallion, Singapore³¹
1982: Public Service Star (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat), Singapore³²
1989: Honorary Doctor of Letters, National University of Singapore³³
1990: ASEAN Award for Performing Arts³⁴
1997: Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, France³⁵
2000: Lifetime Achievement Award, Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS)³⁶

Family
Wife: Alexandra, a Greek archaeologist. They met in Greece in 1968 and married in 1969.³⁷
Children: Sons Choo Yen and Choo Lin.³⁸



Author
Neo Tiong Seng



References
1. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’,” Straits Times, 30 August 1989, 18. (From NewspaperSG)
2. Adeline Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO,” Straits Times, 19 February 2009, 36. (From NewspaperSG)
3. “Choo Hoey Gets French Arts and Letters Knighthood,” Straits Times, 26 April 1997, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
4. Who’s Who in Malaysia & Singapore, vol. 2 (Selangor, Malaysia: Who’s Who Publications, 1983), 93. (Call no. RSING 920.0595 WWM)
5. Yap Kun Bek, “Choo Hoey: The Maestro, the Man,” New Nation, 8 April 1979, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
6. Melanie Chew, Leaders of Singapore (Singapore: Resource Press, 1996), 290 (Call no. RSING q920.05957 CHE); B. Sunuja, “Father Knew Best,” Straits Times, 21 March 1993, 4; “850 Deaths,” Straits Times, 16 July 1993, 40. (From NewspaperSG)
7. Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
8. Sunuja, “Father Knew Best.”
9. Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
10. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’”; Catherine Tan, “She Carries On Her Dad’s Work,” Straits Times, 22 November 1983, 15. (From NewspaperSG)
11. Violet Oon, “Courage to Take Over the Baton,” New Nation, 27 May 1977, 12. (From NewspaperSG)
12. Akshita Nanda, “Building a Beautiful SSO,” Straits Times, 18 January 2014, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
13. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’; ”Ho Soo Guang, ed., Internationally Renowned Conductor Choo Hoey (Singapore: Hwa Chong Old Boys’ Association, 1978) 34. (Call no. RSING 785.0924 CHO.1)
14. “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus,” Singapore Symphony Orchestra archived 22 July 2023. (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore)
15. Singapore Symphony Orchestra, “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus.”
16. Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
17. “Academy ‘Reject’ Makes World Musical History,” Straits Times, 8 February 1958, 18. (From NewspaperSG)
18. Singapore Symphony Orchestra, “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus.”
19. Phan Ming Yen, “Choo Hoey to Step Down as SSO Music Director,” Straits Times, 27 January 1996, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
20. Singapore Symphony Orchestra, “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus”; “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’”; Ho, Internationally Renowned Conductor Choo Hoey, 34.
21. Singapore Symphony Orchestra, “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus.”
22. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’”; Nanda, “Building a Beautiful SSO.” 
23. Lisa Kong, “A Step in the Right Direction,” Straits Times, 19 January 1990, 6. (From NewspaperSG)
24. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’”; Singapore Symphony Orchestra, “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus.”
25. Leong Weng Kam, “Veteran Conductor Returns to Warm Welcome,” Straits Times, 4 July 2016, 7; Chang Tou Liang, “Making Music History,” Straits Times, 4 July 2016, 8; Chin Soo Fang, “PA's Chinese Orchestra to Become National Body,” Straits Times, 24 June 1996, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
26. Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
27. Phan, “Choo Hoey to Step Down as SSO Music Director”; Chua Chin Hon, “Thumping the Podium Again,” Straits Times, 21 February 2000, 9. (From NewspaperSG)
28. Chang Tou Liang, “Maestro Choo Hoey Charms at SSO's 40th-anniversary Bash,” Straits Times, 20 April 2019. (From Newslink via NLB’s eResources website)
29. Singapore Symphony Orchestra, “Choo Hoey (BBM): Conductor Emeritus.”
30. Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
31. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’.”
32. Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
33. Phan, “Choo Hoey to Step Down as SSO Music Director.”
34. Zuraidah Ibrahim, “Asean Honours 24 Writers, Artists and Musicians,” Straits Times, 8 November 1990, 20. (From NewspaperSG)
35. “Choo Hoey Gets French Arts and Letters Knighthood.”
36. Tay Shi’An, “Dick Lee Makes It Three in a Row,” Straits Times, 27 November 2000, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
37. “Choo Hoey, ‘Maestro among the Cognoscenti’”; Chia, “Choo Hoey Takes On SCO.” 
38. “850 Deaths.”



The information in this article is valid as of January 2024 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.